


Twisted Fate

by Kiki_Kat



Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arguing, Betrayal, But for me Mono has that rare protective “would do anything for you” older brother type friend vibe, Emotional Constipation, Emotionally Repressed, Gen, Guilt, Heavy Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I am friggin obsessed with this game, I dont judge the ship Monix or anything ofc, I keep things platonic between these two, I'm Bad At Summaries, Im ignoring that ending and still love Six, Implied/Referenced Suicide, In which Six legit has a mean tsundere like attitude towards Mono, Loss of Trust, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Gore, Mono deserved BETTER man shiiiiiit, Mono is a precious good boi, Mono is touch starved, Mono isn’t too much better at em tbh, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Six sucks at emotions, Time Loop, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Very lil nightmares refs, Very little nightmares spoilers, Yunno what Im talking about 😎, and thats what im keeping it at towards Six, damn I wish I had someone like Mono 🙁😩🥺, no beta we die like men, only slight tho - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29537955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiki_Kat/pseuds/Kiki_Kat
Summary: Mono doesn’t know who he hates more, Six or himself and Six can’t decide whether to feel angry or guilty.Both would give anything to change the decisions they’ve made for similar yet different reasons.But that’s the thing about a time loop. The easy part is you get another shot. The hard part is you have to travel with the person who betrayed you.
Relationships: Mono & Six (Little Nightmares)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 292





	1. Misery loves company

**Author's Note:**

> Im in a really angsty mood and in complete denial of the ending. What a storm.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mono’s had a lot of time to reflect. He really wishes the good memories wouldn’t haunt him.

He’s out of breath by the time that they jump in the hole, palpitations making him shake at the narrow escape from the Hunter.   
  


Mono yelped as a bullet sent down from above nearly hit him in the leg, followed by a growl and then there’s footsteps walking away from the hole.   
  


Six takes this opportunity to grab his hand and roughly pull him foward and he shakily does his best to keep up.   
  


He knew the body language, and she was right. They had to move.   
  


The Hunter was, and they should be too.   
  


There was no longer any reason for them to stay here.   
  


As they’re walking, Mono manages to get a quick look at her expression and it shocks him.   
  


They had almost been killed—shot by a grotesque monster and while he was freaking out her expression was cold and collected.   
  


How can she stay so _calm_?   
  


It’s when they’re ducking and climbing out that Mono tightens his grip ever so slightly and stops.   
  


“Hey, um...” 

Six turns to face him, looks annoyed at the fact that they’re stopping.   
  


“I never got your name.”   
  


Six purses her lips, lets out a frustrated sigh but if this will make them move quicker then so be it.   
  


“... _Six_ ,” she says, voice slightly hoarse from lack of use aside from saying “hey” or “come on” or “come here”. Mainly the first one. She was never a big talker.

”Six? Like the number?” 

Six nods impatiently, and Mono grins beneath his bag in spite of himself. What a weird name, to be named after the actual number. Though Mono knows he’s not one to think such a thing, he had always thought his name was weird.   
  


“I’m Mono.”   
  


Six nods again, and this time takes his hand and tugs him forward again. They don’t have time for this. Who knows where the Hunter could be.

They needed to be very careful.

“Whoa—so, how did you end up in the Hunter’s house?” Mono whispered as they speed walked across the field.

Six snorted mentally. This boy definitely liked to talk, and it annoyed her. She didn’t like talking or others talking to her.

“I was captured.” She answered, cold and brief. _Duh. Stupid.  
  
_

_“_ I _know_ that, but like how?” The friendliness had never left his tone.   
  


As they crouched behind a nearby box, Six changed the subject.   
  


“Why are you asking all these things?” She demands. “It’s none of your business. And why did you want to know my name? It doesn’t matter.”   
  


“It _does_ matter, though,” Mono insists. “It’s kind of hard to be friends if I don’t even know your name, silly.”   
  


Six wrinkles her nose. “We’re not friends.”   
  


“Why not? _I’d_ like to think we are. After all, I helped you out of that room and you’ve been helping me throughout the Hunter’s House. Friends help each other, right?”

Six scoffed to herself. How ridiculous. Did he seriously not know how this world worked? It’s all about _survival_ , not silly things like _Friendship_. Friendship doesn’t get you anywhere.   
  


And she was helping out of _necessity_. Not because she particularly cared for this boy. He had the strength that she lacked. The smarts to figure out puzzles that stumped her.

She doesn’t have any more time to think however, because a missed shot alerts them that they’ve been spotted and before she can blink Mono’s grabbing her hand and racing off in the lead, her close behind.

000000000000000000000000000

Mono raised an arm above his head as the skies poured down mercilessly upon them.   
  


He didn’t know why, he had always loved the rain. He had played in puddles, splashing and kicking for as long as he could remember.   
  


Although, it had seemed so much more fun back when he wasn’t in a gloomy environment such as this. He knew he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it as much as he normally would.   
  


He felt himself _drop_ slightly and he jolted in surprise, only to look down and realize that he he had merely stepped into a particularly large hole in the cement filled with rain water. Similar puddles surrounded it.   
  


Mono glanced back at his yellow coated friend who was catching up.   
  


A light bulb went off in his head and he smirked deviously.   
  


“Hey! Six!”

The girl in question had been observing her surroundings, hence her reason for being slightly behind Mono but at his voice she perked up and quickly walked over.   
  


She cocks her head at Mono’s strange behavior with him crouching in the water and his back turned to her.   
  


At first she thought that he was looking for something.   
  


“What is i—“ 

She begins to ask, growing impatient only for Mono to abruptly spin around and splash water at the girl.   
  


Six stumbled back in surprise, dripping and she looked at Mono who was laughing in delight.   
  


“You should have seen your face! You really fell for that, haha!” Mono snickered.   
  


At seeing Six’s vacant and if he wasn’t mistaken, slightly irritated expression he recovered and cleared his throat, swallowing.   
  


“Umm...it—it’s a game.” He explained timidly. “It’s called Water Fight. It’s where you throw water at the other person. For fun.”   
  


Seeing that Six’s expression still didn’t shift, it hit Mono that there was the possibility that Six didn’t know of this game, or didn’t really know how to play at all in general.   
  


Feeling quite sheepish and a little guilty, Mono opened his mouth to apologise and urge them to move on.   
  


Only for that to be a mistake, because Six abruptly cupped her hands in the water below and threw some at Mono in return, causing some to fly into his open mouth and he coughed in surprise, backing up and doubletaking.   
  


Six stood there proudly, smirk plastered across her face. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.   
  


Mono allowed himself to smile.   
  


Oh, it was _definitely_ on.   
  


For the next few minutes, the two children ran around and threw water at each other without a care in the world.   
  


It was an impossibility in such a place like this, but it seemed that whenever they were together they overcame the impossible.   
  


They were _happy_.   
  


Eventually Six had claimed her victory, blinding Mono momentarily with another splash and she took this opportunity to jump onto him playfully, causing him to fall lightly to the ground with her on top, knees digging into his chest but not too much to cause any pain.   
  


“Got you.” She said, giggling.   
  


Mono threw his hands up, panting. “Yeah, you got me.” He chuckled, confirming. “Good job.”

Mono had to admit to himself, it had made him so happy to play with Six like that.   
  


He had managed to get past that cold, stand offish wall that she had built between them for so long and he actually couldn’t blame her.   
  


It was a cruel, twisted world this was.   
  


You had to be tough to survive. Six had taught him that.   
  


But that didn’t mean they couldn’t have their moments like these once in a while.   
  


In fact, Mono liked to believe that these were the times that helped keep the hope alive.   
  


Hope of them escaping. _Together_.   
  


Once Mono was up and they were walking again, it wasn’t too long before he heard a sneeze and he looked back to see Six rubbing at her nose, then her eyes.   
  


Mono frowned. He really hoped the rain didn’t get him and Six sick.   
  


The more he thought about it, they hadn’t really had much of a break since before they arrived to the city. They hadn’t had any rest in a few days.   
  


He heard Six yawn faintly, clearly trying to hide it but he had heard it and it caused him to feel his own looming exhaustion.   
  


Mono risked a glance up at the Tower and shivered. It looked so ominous, so scary and who _knew_ what waited for them beyond those doors.   
  


They would definitely need all the rest and strength that they could get.   
  


In a change of pace, Mono gently grasped Six’s hand and lead her to the driest area that he could find, which was back towards the building that Six had gotten her coat from. They weren’t too far, anyways.   
  


“Why are we back here?” She hadn’t questioned him until they were actually inside.   
  


“To get some rest. Just for a little bit.” He replied, sitting down in a corner.   
  


Six pursed her lips, looking like she was going to protest.   
  


“Six, I’m tired and so are you. We’re not gonna get too far in this condition.” Not irritated, just soft like always.   
  


Six averted her gaze in embarrassment, then sighed before settling down next to him.   
  


She shivered, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them.   
  


Mono scoots closer and lifts up some of his coat, wrapping some around her in an effort to keep her warm.   
  


Six flinches, but she doesn’t pull away. She slowly leans into him, cautiously but then the tension leaves her and her head is against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.   
  


It soothes and lulls her, and she is surprisingly the first one asleep.   
  


Mono can finally feel himself relax. He swallows and follows suit.   
  


Six is usually the light sleeper between the two of them. He can trust her to wake him if anything happens or when the time comes. 

0000000000000000000000

_“Hey.”  
_

It’s her voice that awakens him. Except it isn’t really _her_.   
  


Mono knows that.   
  


Just the remnants of his dream echoing into reality.

His cruel, cold reality.   
  


He slowly sat up in that lonely chair, ignoring the aches all over his body.

_The reality that she had handed him._

He touched his cheek absentmindedly, feeling the dry tear stains.   
  


At first he had been hurt. Shocked. Heartbroken. Confused.   
  
  


He had spent a good amount of time crying until his fatigue tugged him into a restless slumber.

What had he done wrong? Where had he screwed up? Why did she leave him here? 

Now he was just angry. Disdainful. Bitter.   
  


How could she do this to him!? How could she leave him here??   
  


**How could she do this to him!?  
  
**

They were friends!   
  


He gritted his teeth. Balled his hands into fists, nails digging into his skin.   
  


They were _friends_ , and yet she had let him _fall_.   
  


He remembered her eyes when she had dropped him. Her dark brown eyes were cold. Void of any emotion.   
  


No regret flashed in them as he flailed about in the air, plumetting down.   
  


_Why_?   
  


Just when he thought he couldn’t cry any more, an angry sob burst forth and he pressed his hands to his eyes, sniffling uncontrollably.   
  


He had loved her. She was the best friend that he’s ever had. And he’d like to believe that she had cared about him too, even if it was just a little bit.   
  


Her actions in the past had said something, hadn’t it? She had always been around to catch him. She even messed around and played with him after a while. So _why_?   
  


He chokes, another sob bubbling in his throat. He bites down on his trembling lip determinedly.   
  


What exactly had he done to make her seemingly hate him? He didn’t understand.

He wants to hate _her_ so badly, but deep down he knows that it isn’t like Six to look at him like that. To give him a look so full of hatred and rage.   
  


She saved looks like that for their enemies.   
  


He shivers. He needs to get out of here. After some more rest, he needs to find a way to get out. It seems impossible, but with his new powers maybe there’s a way.   
  


As far as the hatred goes...he hates her for letting him go.   
  


But he hates himself for doing whatever he did to make her do so.   
  


And the truth is, he doesn’t know who he hates more.


	2. Cold(ish) Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six didn’t know much to anything about friendship. All she knows is a friend doesn’t do what he did to her. 
> 
> Then again, who is she to judge?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like...watched Very Little Nightmares and that ending hit a lot harder than I thought it would :/

Six fell back on her palms, wiping the blood from her lips with her arm.   
  


She gazed at the rat’s remains in disinterest, and slight disappointment.

It had been a pretty big rat so she had expected it to be more filling.   
  


Whatever. It had temporarily cured her hunger, so she was satisfied.   
  


Six got to her feet and pushed forward, floorboards creaking beneath her.   
  


She was stumped as to why she hadn’t run into any monsters yet.   
  


She had never believed in it much, but it must have been dumb luck.   
  


Either way, she wasn’t complaining.   
  


Six noticed a nearby sink and jumped from boxes up to the ledge. She glanced down at her jacket that had multiple blood stains, then to her hands and cringed internally.   
  


She had always been a messy eater, even before this wretched curse.

_”uhh...”_ _A small giggle. “You’ve got a little something right there, Six.”  
  
_

_“....Actually, you just smudged it.”_  
  


_A laugh. “Here, lemme help you.”  
  
_

Six climbed into the sink, grunting as she turned the faucet and ran the unsurprisingly freezing water.   
  


It amazed her at how easily the blood came out. This jacket had always been that way, hadn’t it? Resistant to stains, heavy or light. 

As she gazed into the remains of a shattered mirror, she swallowed.

Looking at herself in the jacket up close brought back unwanted memories.   
  


That girl had helped her in the end, and she wasn’t able to help back. 

And yet, she can distantly recall as she watched them fall from above, the girl had a ghost of a smile on her face, directed at Six as a tear fell from her eyes.   
  


Then plumetted into the water below.   
  


Six jumped down from the sink and attempted to get herself back on track.   
  


They weren’t friends. They were acquiantances. Acquaintances who had helped each other out of necessity, for the sake of survival.   
  


_“But friends help each other.”_

Six gritted her teeth, growling. She did not need _his_ voice in her head right now.   
  


For someone who had told her so much about _friendship_ , he sure wasn’t much of a friend!   
  


Six was never interested in having any connections with anyone. So she wouldn’t know.   
  


But he had let her get captured by Thin Man. He had broken her music box. He had _hurt_ her.   
  


And it felt stupid, because she was never interested in becoming friends with him in the first place.   
  


She merely planned on using him to escape.   
  


Yet she had grown to trust him. Care for him.   
  


And he turned and did what he did. 

Friends don’t do that. Friends don’t hurt each other like that.   
  


And he wasn’t even remorseful!   
  


If he didn’t feel guilty, why should she?   
  
  


_Because he trusted you too and you dropped him._

Six let out an aggravated sigh. She didn’t have tine for this. Didn’t have time for this ridiculous guilt and rage.   
  


She needed to stay focused. Needed to stop thinking about _him_.   
  


The girl spotted a couch and approached it, huffing as she climbed up.   
  


She sniffed. She _missed_ him. She missed him, and that fueled her anger even more because she didn’t want to and more so she didn’t _deserve_ to, because she dropped him and yet she _does_.   
  


Six laid down and curled into a small ball, blinking through the blurry vision, causing two tears to roll down each of her cheeks.   
  
  


Ugh. Gross weakness.

She felt so angry and so horrible at the same time. 

Everything that had once annoyed her about him she had come to enjoy.   
  


His laughing. His playfulness. The way he managed to stay so optimistic even in the darkest of times.   
  


She missed his voice. Missed his prescence. Even missed the touch of his somehow warm hand in her cold one. Mono had always radiated extra body heat. It was so weird, but she never objected to it. 

Six missed all of it. Except there was nothing she could do. Because he was gone. He was there and she was here. And for the first time, she feels so _alone_.   
  


Exhaling a shaky breath, Six closed her eyes and succumbed to the darkness.


	3. Strangled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then again, that’s the world he lives in isn’t it? 
> 
> An endless loop of hell. 
> 
> Right. An inescapable hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanna say that what lies ahead can be triggering so yunno the drill be careful when reading :)

Mono sat at the edge of a lake, gazing into the rippling waters with a bland expression.   
  


Running from the hunter had been exhausting, and when Mono had suggested a break Six hadn’t objected, curling into a ball on her side on the field and surrendering to sleep.   
  


He would have joined her, but he had already attempted and it was no use.   
  


His thoughts kept him awake.   
  


What was he supposed to do?   
  


He liked to pretend that he knew, but after the episode with the Hunter he was all jumbled and shaken up.   
  


He had killed someone.   
  


He had _killed_ someone.   
  


Granted, it wasn’t even a human, Six had told him herself when she picked up on him lagging behind.   
  


But that didn’t change how dirty it made him feel.   
  


Mono liked to blame it on he was too soft. Too nice. Six had pointed that out about him too, she was very blunt but she wasn’t wrong.

He guessed that was the difference between the two of them. The way that Six stood strong and unbothered while Mono’s hands couldn’t stop shaking after they pulled that trigger.

Six was tough. He was soft.   
  


She was brave. He was cowardly.   
  


She was strong and he liked to believe he was the same way except he couldn’t help feeling so weak.   
  


He’s always felt that way. 

The world made him feel that way.   
  


Everyone hated him. With his bag, his personality everyone thought he was some kind of freak.

Nothing but a weirdo kid to be left behind and forgotten. He didn’t want to be alone.   
  


He didn’t want to be forgotten.

Not even by his new traveling “companion”. 

It was selfish. It was pathetic and he knew it. The fact that he considered someone he just met a friend and wanted to stay with her as long he could just proved how desperately clingy and needy he was.

Mono let out a shaky sigh. He really was a freak, wasn’t he?   
  


He absentmindedly rubbed at his arm, then rolled up his sleeve. He stared at what seemingly mocked him in response.   
  


He had always....done this to himself in the past. It had made him feel better then.   
  


Mono swallowed audibly. Dug into his coat pocket, rummaging around for a minute before he had found a small switch blade.   
  


He had found it lying around in the hunter’s house.   
  


He exhaled evenly as he pressed the button. Mono pressed it against a fresh layer of skin and forced himself to bite down on his lip as it dug and tears rose in his eyes as blood began to streak out.   
  


_Hate hate hate hate hate_

_Everyone hates you. The world hates you you’re hated by life itself_

Before it could escalate any further, Mono heard movement behind him and then a small groan, signaling that Six had woken up and he cursed under his breath, quickly shoving his blade under water to clean it off grazing his thumb in the process and he cringed.   
  


He closed it and shoved it back in his pocket, yanking his sleeve back down and turning to greet Six just in time as she sat up.   
  


“H—Hey,” he uttered. “Did you sleep well?”   
  


Six didn’t say anything to him. She merely looked around, then back and him and nodded curtly.   
  


“We should get going. Are you ready?”   
  


Six nodded again.   
  


Mono let out a puff. “Good. Let’s go.”   
  


0000000000000000000000000

“Sorry I took so long. Are you okay?”   
  


Six eyed him like he had two heads. Then gradually, she nodded and grabbed his outstretched hand, allowing him to gently pull her to her feet.   
  


Mono smiled, and then took her hand and led her out the window.   
  


Six didn’t pull away from him. It made him feel good.   
  


“We should keep going.” Mono had said once they were safely inside the next building, stopping when Six tugged his sleeve.   
  


He looked towards her. Her gaze was locked onto the ground. He frowned. Was she hurt after all?   
  


“Hey what’s wrong?”   
  


The girl slowly looked up, and he could see her eyes through her black fringe. She was biting the inside of her cheek, the slightest hint of blush on her cheeks.   
  


“Thanks.” She mumbled, voice rough.

Mono’s breath caught in his throat.   
  


She had thanked him.   
  


_She had talked to him.  
  
_

He was sure he looked like an idiot, just standing there and staring so he snapped out of it and grinned under his mask.   
  


“It’s what friends do, right? I’m just glad you’re okay.”   
  


Six rolls her eyes at his optimistic attitude, except this time it’s more of a fond rather than annoyed.   
  


She moves past him, but before she gets too far she turns to look at him, then frowns.   
  


“Stop doing that.” She says, actually sounding annoyed this time.   
  


Mono was startled and confused. He had just been standing here, what could she possibly be referring to?

”I’m....I’m sorry?” He says, bewilderment dripping in his tone. “I don’t—what did I do?”

Six points at his arm, and Mono doesn’t know why but his stomach drops.   
  


“My arm? What about my—“ 

“Hurt.” She cuts him off curtly. “Keeps getting hurt. Stop doing that. It’s weird.”

Mono was completely floored. His jaw nearly dropped open. “How—How did you know?” He stammered.   
  


Six rolls her eyes again, brows narrowed. “I’m not stupid. Just don’t do it. It’s not good.”   
  


Before Mono can say anything else, Six lets out a frustrated huff and laces her fingers with his, pulling him foward. “Come on. _Let’s go_. We don’t have time for this.”

Mono was still stunned as he allowed himself to be dragged, but nevertheless he felt his lips tug upwards in a warm grin.   
  


And so he followed. 

* * *

His hope was gone. His faith was shattered.   
  


There was no way out of here.   
  


He couldn’t believe that his younger self had actually believed that there was.   
  


Even when he had escaped from the digusting eyeball filled fleshy hell, he was still trapped.   
  


All alone in this cold, empty purple room.

Then again, that’s practically the world he lives in, right?   
  


Hell.

He glanced at the criss crossed scars that littered his wrists. _She_ had called it weird, but it had fit perfectly because he _was_ weird.   
  


He’d never break the cycle. 

He’d be stuck in this loop of pain forever.   
  


At one point he had actually believed that she would come back for him.   
  


How pathetic was _that_?

She’d never come for him. She didn’t like him. Didn’t want him. Didnt need him.   
  


He was completely useless to her.   
  


Useless to the world.   
  


She had let him fall.   
  


Bitter anger and resentment filled his bones. His hands shook, but they relaxed slightly as he looked at the rope in his hands that hand a small hole in the middle.   
  


There was one method left that he has yet to try. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the theory that Mono ended his life after becoming Thin Man and was later the hanging guy we saw in LN1. I’m not entirely sure about this, however I do think it’s very possible as he must’ve had so many emotions inside of him especially due to the betrayal and then becoming what he did and he felt as if he just couldn’t take it anymore, but I kinda like this theory so I used my creativity and went with it bc it kinda makes sense in ways.
> 
> Also, I came up with my own headcannon in this story where Mono has self-worth issues because he feels the world and everyone in it hates him, and he used to hurt himself to make him feel better. Oof :/ 💔


	4. Pride and Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first thing Six was aware of was waking up in her old room at the Hunter’s House. 
> 
> The next is meeting an old companion. 
> 
> Everything that follows...things get complicated.

Six didn’t remember closing her eyes. All she knew was that as they fluttered open, she was lying on the floor. A cold, hard floor.

She instantly shot up, a gasp escaping her lips as she did so and she scanned her surroundings.   
  


Her mind whirled and raced to catch up with what was happening, breath catching in her throat.   
  


She....She was back in the Hunter’s House, wasn’t she?   
  


The loop had started all over again. Just as she had predicted.   
  


Six couldn’t help but feel slightly frustrated. She was so sure she had ended it! She was so sure it had worked when she had dropped him—

Her heart abruptly thudded at the thought. _Mono_.

If things were starting all over again, that meant he was _here_.   
  


As if on cue, she heard the soft dragging of an axe across the floor and cold anxiety settled into her stomach.   
  


She wasn’t ready for this. She _wasn’t_ ready for this. What would she say? What would she do? Does he remember? Remember what happened? Remember what she did to him?   
  


Questions and worries flew about in her head, but there was no time to deal with them because she heard feet outside her door, a small pause and then an axe was slicing through.   
00000000000000000000000

Her knees were pulled to her chest, arms wrapped around and face pressed to her arms.   
  


There was silence.   
  


She gradually looked up.   
  


He stood there mutely, looking down upon her. He looked exhausted and absolutely worn, raven locks messier than usual and small bags under his eyes. The hand that wasn’t holding the axe was balled into a fist yet his expression remained blank, lips formed into a thin line.

He looked so _different_ without his bag.

Six was frozen, gazing back at him. Her mouth opened and then closed like a fish out of water. He didn’t react. The axe clattered to the ground and he took a step forward.   
  


She didn’t know what to do. She only really knew how to do two things best; fight or run.   
  


Six chose the latter.

The girl jumped to her feet, attempting to speed past him just like she had in the previous timeline when they had first met.   
  


Except this time it was different.   
  


Just as Six thought she was in the clear right when she was about to run out the door where he was standing next to, he grabbed her arm in a tight grip and spun her around, shocking her and a yelp was lodged in her throat in fear of alerting the Hunter as Mono slammed her into the nearby wall.   
  


She instantly cringed slightly at the impact. Her arms were pinned against the wall she had been cornered into.   
  


“No.”

It was so stupid, but all of a sudden she felt scared.   
  


Six struggled a few times with pitiful grunts, but she soon realised it was fruitless. Mono was _strong_. Quite a bit stronger than her.

She looked up once again, and this time held his gaze.

Multiple emotions swirled in those grey eyes that she had grown so used to looking at. His expression had changed to a hard one, and the emotion that stood out the most was anger.

She refused to be intimidated. She glared back at him.   
  


“Why?” He demanded, grip tightening ever so slightly. “Why did you _do_ that?”   
  


It’s that statement that makes Six realise that he _does_ remember the previous timeline, and it makes her wish he doesn’t.   
  


Nevertheless, feeling her own rage bubble up she throws him a dumbfounded look.   
  


Mono knows she’s playing dumb and he doesn’t buy it for one minute. It only makes him more frustrated.   
  


“We were friends. I _trusted_ you. I _helped_ you. I _saved_ you!” He continues, attempting to sound furious but it ends up coming out desperate, and against his will his voice shakes. “ _Why_?”   
  


Six sees the hurt and pain that briefly flashes across the boy’s face and she grits her teeth because she _refuses_ to feel guilty.   
  


“ _You ruined everything_!” She snaps at him, feeling satisfaction at the shock that wipes across his face. She writhes in his grip. “You took everything from me! You took me away from my safeplace!”   
  


She feels tears rise in her eyes, and instantly bites down on her lip hard enough to draw blood. She had always been an angry crier.   
  


After a moment’s hesitation, Mono lets go of her and backs up. Six is grateful. She takes advantage of the opportunity to blink away her weakness.   
  


“What are you _talking_ about?” Mono bites out, frustrated.   
  


“You know what you did!”   
  


“No, _I really don’t!_ ”   
  


“You destroyed my stuffed animals! You broke my music box! You—“ 

“ _Oh my God_ ,” he cuts her off incredulously, “Are you seriously telling me that you’re mad at me for _saving you_??”   
  


Six stomps her foot at Mono rolling his eyes, “I was perfectly happy there! I was _safe_ there!!”   
  


“Yeah! At that point in time, Six!” Mono growls, stepping towards her with a glower. “Do you really think that I— _he_ —ugh!”   
  


He cuts himself off, clenching at his hair before looking back at her. “You seriously think that it would’ve _stayed_ that way? That he wouldn’t have done something even _worse_ to you eventually?? And now you’re telling me that you dropped me because of a _stupid_ Music Box!!”   
  


“It wasn’t stupid! It was _special_!” Six exclaims angrily at him.   
  


“ _Special_?? There are _dozens_ of music boxes out there! I would have gotten you another one! Grow up!”   
  


“It wasn’t just that! I would have never been in that situation if you had never let me get captured by Thin Man in the first place!” She’s close to screaming at this point.   
  


“ _What_? I couldn’t _do_ anything, Six!” Mono scoffs. “Thin Man was controlling me with the Transmission!”

”You still could have helped me hide!”   
  


“Well how was _I_ supposed to know you were gonna hide _there_? _Of course_ he’d see you! I thought you were smart!”   
  


  
Volcano of rage erupting, Six rushed forward and shoved Mono to the ground.   
  


“Ouch!”

The younger stomps out of the room, ignoring the boy following her and grumbling under his breath.

Six lets out a frustrated groan, falling down from the lever of the door to the attic for the eighth time.   
  


She looks toward Mono who stands there with an uninterested look.   
  


“ _Help_?” She says.   
  


“Nah, no thanks.” Mono riposted. “I think you’ve got this.”   
  


“I can’t do this without you.” She mumbles, irritated.   
  


“Oh _really_? Because if I recall correctly you escaped _the Tower_ just fine without me.”

Six hates the way the truth of the statement, the statement itself and Mono’s cold tone contrasting to his usual sunny tone all hit too close to home.

_You need help Six?  
_

_I’ve got it Six, don’t worry!  
  
_

_Hey Six, over here!  
  
_

_It’s okay Six, I’ll handle it!_

”Thought so. I’m just a tool to you.”

Mono’s voice snapped her out of her stupor as he walked past her with a mumble of, “Wish I saw it a long time ago”.   
  


The boy sighs but nevertheless crouches and cups his hands, looking at her impatiently, “You coming or not?”   
  


Six swallows, forces herself to feel the irritation above anything else and steps onto Mono’s hands as he hoists her up.   
  


As the ladder opens, Six collides with the ground instead of landing in Mono’s arms like the previous time and she can’t help the slight hurt at it, but she shoves it down.   
  


“Welcome.” Mono mutters before climbing up the ladder.   
  


_Whoops, haha! Don’t worry, I’ve got ya!  
  
_

Six snorts and picks herself up.   
  


Once inside the attic, she watches Mono climb onto the nearest chest and lay down on top of it. It takes her a minute to realise what he’s doing.   
  


“Are we seriously sleeping right now?” She questions, annoyed.   
  


Mono glances toward her, then huffs as he jumps back down.   
  


“I don’t know about you,” he starts. “But I’m exhausted. I’ve barely gotten any sleep since _you decided to drop me._ So yeah, you know, I’m getting some rest.”   
  


Six’s cheeks flush and her fists shake, and before Mono can jump back up she grabs him and shoves him to the wooden floor, pressing her knees to his chest to keep him from getting up.   
  


“What the hell, Six?!” Mono hissed angrily, “Get offa me!”

“You destroyed everything! You destroyed my music box!!” Six exclaimed, punching his shoulder repeatedly.   
  


“Ow—ow— _Ow_! What was I _supposed_ to do!? The music box was what was _making_ you that way!”   
  


“I would’ve been better off if you had left me there! I would have been better off if you had never come for me!!”

Something snapped inside of Mono, and he gathered enough strength to shove the girl he once considered his best friend onto the floor and stood up, towering over her with his body shaking, chest heaving up and down with emotion.    
  


“I came for you because you were _my friend_!” He chokes out, throat constricted. “Because I was _worried_ about you! Because I was scared that if I didn’t get there quick enough, I would lose you!” The words are rolling off his tongue listlessly, falling past his lips uncontrollably and he couldn’t stop them nor did he have the energy to do so.   
  


“ _Do you have any idea_ of what I went through to get you back every time we got separated!? With those Bullies, and then Thin Man!? Do you think that it was _easy_?! It wasn’t! It was hard, and it was scary, but I still did it, you know why!? Not because I needed you for puzzles, but because I _cared about you_! I cared about you, and there was no way I would’ve ever forgiven myself if I just _let_ something awful happen to you and I didn’t help you! _You are so selfish—you’re such a selfish brat, you know that_!?”   
  


Feeling immature pride bubble in her chest, Six jumped to her feet to face him properly, “ _I’m_ selfish!? _You’re_ the one who took me away from where I was _happy_! You yelled at me! You were _hurting_ me! You claim to have cared, but if you _actually_ cared about me you never would’ve done _any_ of that!!”   
  


“ _I just wanted my friend back_!”   
  


Mono yelled with a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob, completely silencing Six.    
  


He bit down on his trembling lip, “I just wanted to escape _together_...” 

The older scrubbed at his wet cheeks furiously, stifling a sniffle.    
  


“I’m getting some sleep.” He grumbled, turning and jumping back on top of the chest and laying down with his back to her.   
  


He couldn’t hide behind his bag anymore. He swallowed thickly, controlling his shaking breaths and hoping the tears would stop soon.   
  


Six huffed, annoyed and ignored the other’s slightly shaking frame.   
  


She has nothing better to do. She may as well try to get some sleep, too.   
  


A few inches away from the chest, she laid down and curled in on herself, almost like a cat.   
  


Stupid Mono.    
  


Stupid emotions.


End file.
